Review | NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Monday, 11 March 2013

Hi Ladies! I hope you’re all well and had a lovely Mothers Day yesterday. I went out with the family for a three course lunch which was absolutely lovely and I of course spoilt my mum. I bought her some MAC goodies as she keeps pinching mine and a personalised mug from Getting Personal so she was very happy with those. I’m not happy its Monday again though, don’t the weekends just fly by? Roll of Easter and six days off work.Today I’d like to review one of the new
additions to my foundation collection. Yes you heard that right, a foundation collection.
Once upon a time I was never really interested in trying new foundations and
always stuck to my trusty ‘Studio Fix Fluid’ from MAC. However, fast forward a
couple of years and I’m a woman obsessed. I can’t get enough of testing and
trying new foundations that promise to make my skin look better than
it does naturally. So after doing a bit of research I decided NARS Sheer Glow
would be the next foundation on my hit list. After hearing various You
Tube superstars (mainly you Tanya Burr!) rave about how much they
love this stuff, I knew I had to try it out for myself. I’m also a huge fan of
other NARS products so I came to the conclusion their foundation would be just
as fabulous.

I was a bit lazy when it came to picking my shade in this foundation and ended up looking at swatches online instead of going in store. I have a slight phobia of getting colour matched in store these days after my disastrous experience with Estee Lauder. They matched me with Double Wear and it made me look like a
grey and pink patchwork quilt – gross! With this being said I decided to read fellow bloggers reviews, have a look at some swatches and decide
myself. I decided ‘Fiji’ was my shade after reading Kate from gh0st parties review here as like me, she’s a pale skinned gal. The foundation looks beautiful on her too, so I was even more excited to give it a go. Thankfully I was right and after swatching in store
(just to make sure), I walked away with my Fiji Sheer Glow. I must admit, the
price seriously unimpressed me (£30.50 – ouch) but hey, I can’t resist a
product when there’s so much love and hype surrounding it. Another thing that unimpressed me (lets get the negatives out of the way first) was the fact that it doesn't have a pump. Don't get me wrong, the packaging itself is very luxurious, I love the glass bottle with the NARS logo down the side but the fact it doesn't come with a pump for the high price is quite annoying. It means you have to pour the foundation out of the bottle which results in a lot of mess and waste. The lid on my bottle broke a few days after buying this too so I had to transfer the Sheer Glow into another empty foundation bottle that did have a pump (what a faff!). I've since realised you can actually buy a pump separately but again, its annoying having to part with even more money for something that should already be provided in a high-end product.

So moving on from the things I don't like about this product, let me tell you what I do like. Firstly, I love the coverage. When I first heard about this foundation, the name 'Sheer Glow' gave me the impression it would have a light coverage and a dewy finish. However, after reading reviews and trying this foundation for myself, its actually the complete opposite. I'd class it as a medium-full coverage foundation and definitely buildable. I also find that it applies flawlessly, takes no effort at all to buff in and leaves my skin with a flawless 'semi-matte' finish. What I mean by semi-matte is that its not completely matte but definitely not 'glowy' as the name would suggest either, lets say somewhere in between. It definitely doesn't look cakey or too heavy, more like my natural skin but more flawless and radiant. This is a massive plus for me as I find I can wear it on a day to day basis or a night out without it looking caked in makeup. I've also found a little goes a long way so although its a pricey, it will last a long time. I tend to pop 1-2 pumps on the back of my hand and apply it with my Real Techniques buffing brush. I then lightly sweep Rimmel Stay Matte powder over the top to keep it in place. I've found it last well on the skin and doesn't separate or melt off your skin like MAC Studio Fix can.

Since buying this foundation, I've worn it every single day. I think its one of those that grows on you as when I first tried it, I wasn't blown away. I think for the price you expect miracles but its just a really nice and easy to use foundation. Like I said earlier, it looks like my skin but better when I'm wearing it and since wearing it on a regular basis, I've never had more compliments on my skin. So after all of this blabbering your probably wondering whether I'd buy this foundation again and my answer is 100% YES but with a pump next time. As much as I don't want to part with more money, a pump is a must-have! I'd also like to finish by saying, don't be put off this foundation if you have oily skin. My skin is combination (more on the oily side) and judging by the name 'Sheer Glow', it sounds like it would emphasise oiliness but trust me, it doesn't. Yay!

I was always hesistant as to try this as I have oily skin but not I'm tempted.. THANKS ALOT (I am skint) hehe. Do you reckon it would cover my spots and blemishes? You seem like you have lovely skin whereas I don't...alicekatex.blogspot.comlove alice xx

great review :) I've only just bought Laura Mercier silk creme and was starting to wonder if this would be more the finish I was after...now your reivew had confirmed it! Shame about the price else I would buy this tomorrow :( xx

This is my favourite foundation EVER! So glad you decided to take the plunge and buy it! I wear Mont Blanc in winter, one of the palest... and then go up to Deauville this time of year and eventually get on to Fiji.. yes... when I have a tan... still pale :( haha.

I have these foundations in my kit so whenever I empty one I will send you a pump :) Saves you spending a fiver and I end up throwing them out.

Ahhh me too - its beaut, my new fave!! I think Fiji might be a touch too dark for me, I can get away with it when blended in but I might go for Deuville next time!! Oooh that would be lovely if you have a pump going spare, your a star!! Xx.

Just like you, I've heard so terribly many good things about it and I'd love to try it out. What holds me back is the price (and the fact that Nars is kind of hard to find in Denmark), but it was a great review! :-)

I wasn't sure whether it would be as good as everyone makes out but it really is!! Ah, is there nowhere online you could order from? The price is steep but it does last a long time so it kind of balances itself out!! Xx.

I love this foundation! I have Siberia which is the perfect colour for me :) I am so glad I bought it because I was slightly put off by the fact it had glow in the name and my nose is very oily but it lasts all day and is the perfect amount of glowy! It's not oily looking but not matte :) Your skin looks incredible and flawless :) I definitely want to get a pump for mine! Are there specific Nars pumps they sell? xxx

Ah your skin always looks so beautiful too so it just shows how great this foundation is!! I have an oily nose/tzone too and it lasts really well on me so I was pretty pleased with that!! I think there is a specific NARS pump yes, its £3.00 so not too bad and definitely worth it for the convenience!! Xx.

This has been on my wishlist for ages also because of Tanya Burr! but i always worried that it might not be great for my oily t-zone so its good to know you dont find that a problem, will def pick this up at some point but i think my next high end foundation will be Laura Mercier Silk Cream :) xx

i tried this foundation a couple of years ago now at the nars counter, back then i was more of a full coverage kind of lady, but now im the opposite, i like my skin to look as natural as possible and just like, well, skin! this sounds and looks lovely on you, i think i'll give it another go once my current foundation runs out! lovely review, oh and your mum sounds well and truly spoilt, what a lovely daughter you are :) x

Lovely review hun! I love that you're being honest about the downsides of this, as it is really pricey and I do want to know about all the pros and cons before parting with my money. This being said, you're such an enabler haha the foundation sounds brilliant and I might need to try it soon! Such a shame it doesn't have a pump though.. xxx

Damn you woman I'm really going to have to stop reading your blog because I literally want everything you talk about! I think ill have to get a sample of this because I've heard nothing but good things about it! I may sound like a mega cheapskate here but I think there definitely should be a pump with it! Xxx

I'm so pleased you put this review up! I've been umming and arghing over this foundation for a while and the thing that was putting me off was that it sounded like such a light coverage and I have loads of light foundations so it's nice to know that it's a bit heavier than the name suggests. It looks so gorgeous on you, I'm seriously considering getting it now xxx

haven't tried this in ages and my skin has changed so much since I did! the only downside is i'm very fair with pink tones so the only thing close (I think) may be mont blanc, if not I won't match any of them! looks amazing on you so definitely readding this to my wishlist I think :) x

I haven't tried this, but I reeeally want to! It's such a popular foundation, and so many people seem to love it! I'm not too sure why they called it sheer glow though, because I think that's a bit misleading! But a flawless radiant finish is exactly what I look for, I won't be trying it soon though, as it's soo expensive, and I've banned myself from buying any new foundations after recently doing a post about my foundation collection and realising how many I have! I need to use them up and get rid of some to make room for this!Eleanor x

This is definitely something I will look into :D This foundation sounds perfect for me and I am really excited to try it since I have read this review :D <3Greatp post and really well written :D <3LoveAnnabelleTheCurleyGirlxxxx

Ah I've been umming and ahhing about the price of this for ages but I've wanted to try it for so long and I think you've convinced me!Are you wearing highlighter in the pictures? If so, could I ask which one?:) xx

This is the next foundation on my list that I want to try - thank you so much for writing about it, it's definitely confirmed my need to try this amazing stuff out! I had an awful experience at an Estee Lauder counter too, in fact many. They kept matching me to a horrific orange shade - I have light skin and quite a bit of redness and instead of counteracting the redness by giving me a more neutral or yellow foundation they were obsessed with matching me to pale almond, which wasn't only a very pink and orange (yet still pale) foundation, that oxidized terribly, it made me look like an oompa loompa! The sad thing is, I loved double wear itself - it just obviously wasn't for me! xx

I've had this foundation for a while and totally agree with what you've said! It's a lovely product. The pump situation is sooo annoying though and when I traveled with it abroad it basically leaked out and I ended up losing soo much product to the contents of my makeup bag ha D: .. I pop my finger over the lid and tip it out that way and I tend to not waste as much!

Great review. I hate it when foundations don't come with a pump either, it's so annoying and messy. I've heard a lot about this foundation too and it does sound great, but for me with very dry skin, the semi-matte worries me a bit. Also the price, might try and get a sample when I next go to a NARS counter :)

I am definitely going to give this foundation ago, I've read so many amazing reviews about it! Like you, I am very pale skinned and find my MAC Studio Fix Fluid has quite an orange tinge even though it's their lightest shade. Lets just hope it makes my skin look as flawless as yours!

it sounds great - but the one thing that would really turn me off is the price. also, having some oily/shiny areas, a foundation with the word 'glow' in it just scares me!!there's one more day left to enter my fashion GIVEAWAY so head over to my blog if you havent checked it out yet! xxxhttp://eleanorcos.blogspot.com/

I was matched up totally wrong for this foundation a long time ago and it really put me off, I have been meaning to go back with my daughter who is a make up artist so she can match me, but not got round to it yet, she wears Sheer Glow and really likes it too, the sample I got long ago was so so yellow on my skin it looked dreadful, but I am going to try again just with the correct colour this time lol looks lovely on your skin :) great review as always xxxx

Kayleigh this review has come at the most PERFECT time for me you little beautyy! haha Ive been googling swatches online for the past fornight - no word of a lie - its been in my online shopping basket countless times but each time ive been unsure. Im also not a fan of getting matched in store - so swatches are a must for me! You have a similar skintone to me so i think i might invest :) annoying about the pump though - very cheeky making you buy the pump separate for 30 quid! ffs..honestly - loved this post - its like you read my mind and this was just the push i needed :) muchos gracias xx

Thanks for this babe, I will be trying this out ASAP. Like you, I always went for Studio Fix from Mac, i've used nearly every Mac foundation but my skin has got bored of them so i've been trying Dior and Chanel more recently, I do like them but this sounds much better. Especially if Tanya Burr uses it! must be good. Thank you so much for this review.

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Blown Away! This sounds fab, as I'm new to blogging I'm looking to try out more foundations. A semi-matte finish suitable for dry skin is what I'm looking for. Only problem is the massive price tag, maybe I'll look for a dupe before taking the plunge haha x.www.xvintagedreamerx.blogspot.com

love your blog I'm always on the look for a new foundation and when pay day comes this is the boy! I was coloured match wrong with double wear too so never got to experience the hype. http://kimiandme.blogspot.co.uk/

This is such a great and in-depth review! Personally I like Sheer Glow but I think on some days it gives me trouble with flaky patches. I did a review of my own on Sheer Glow so if anyone's wondering how it fares on dry skin then it would be appreciated if you could take a look!http://melissareanna.weebly.com

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